So long 2013, there's much to look forward to in 2014

Saturday

Dec 21, 2013 at 8:08 PMDec 21, 2013 at 8:08 PM

Truth be told, 2013 was a horrible year for sports in the epochal space I affectionately term the Gillieverse.

Fantasy football was a train wreck. Of the sports teams I follow regularly, only the New York Knicks made any noise – only to discover that Carmelo Anthony is as useful as a giraffe in the fourth quarter of an NBA playoff game. Barring the IndyCar Series and the Camping World Trucks’ visit to Eldora, big-time auto racing was as interesting as other people’s pet stories. That said, there are some items that light up my pleasure centers heading into a new year.

BCS playoff

One year from now, the only thing we’ll have to argue about in college football: Which program was the fourth best in the country. A four-team playoff format will be installed for next season’s bowl games, still using the awful BCS to rank teams, but at least we’ll have it narrowed down to four. Even this year there was debate about the top two teams in the country – undefeated Florida State and Auburn. Many argue one-loss teams Alabama and Michigan State are better because each played a tougher schedule. Next year, that debate will be settled on field, not La-Z-Boy recliners.

Unified sports car series

It took some time, by NASCAR was finally able to absorb the American Le Mans Series into the Grand-Am fold, and henceforth will be known as the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. This puts all the best teams in one series for the first time since 1997. There’s bound to be teething problems trying to balance out the cars – some radically different in the same class – but the fact everyone will race for the same championship, all on the best road courses in America, makes gearheads everywhere smile.

Stewart Haas Racing

Four of the most dynamic personalities – and three of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series best talents – will be under one banner when Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick roll into Daytona for testing in January. For the first time, we’ll be able to gauge how these sometimes mercurial drivers stack up against one another in the same equipment, while everyone waits to see who loses their cool first. This ragtag group is in direct contrast with Rick Hendrick’s image-conscious stable of drivers.

Raikkonen vs. Alonso

Two world champions driving for Ferrari will allow us to see some drama play out of Maranello, Italy all season. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen will be paired for the 2014 campaign. As history has shown, F1 teams like to have an A driver, whom will run for the championship, and a B driver who is mostly there to grab what points the A guy doesn’t. Now, Ferrari has two super-quick drivers – arguably two of the three best in the sport at the moment. Who will emerge as the A driver? Probably Alonso, but how well will Raikkonen take orders – especially if he proves quicker than his teammate?

Movies

Obviously the big year for movies is 2015, with sequels to “The Avengers” and “Man of Steel” due before the *continuation of the “Star Wars” saga. However, 2014 has at least three flicks that have almost prompted me to put a countdown clock in the home I share with my wife. She said no, but you probably already guessed that. In August, James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” continues the Marvel cinematic universe with a cast of characters that includes a weaponized raccoon, which tells you all you need to know. Later the same month, Robert Rodriguez (finally) follows up his best film to date, “Sin City”, with “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” In November, the most anticipated movie of the year – at least it is at Gill Manor – “Interstellar” will be released. Christopher Nolan is widely known for rebooting Batman, but his other work like “Inception”, “Memento” and “The Prestige” is what makes the director’s latest effort an event.

So this year was a little too blah, but at least there’s something on the horizon to be hopeful about.

Just sayin’: Sometimes my fellow Americans just embarrass and befuddle me, like late last week when the published words of a guy who murders ducks for a living started a firestorm of controversy. If we got this uptight about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Patriot Act, or both, imagine how much better off we would be. Instead, we’re talking over each other like children because of one man’s belief.

Chris Gill, sports writer for The Leader, can be reached at cmgill@the-leader.com or follow him on Twitter @TheLeaderGill.